Sunday, June 26, 2016

Book Club in a Bag

Are you in charge of picking the next book for your book club and have no idea what to choose? Why not check-out one of Carnegie-Stout's Books-in-a-Bag. This collection has everything you need for a successful book club. Each set has at least 10 copies of the title, usually in multiple formats (regular print, large print and CD audio). We have 43 different titles available in a mixture of genres. Take a look at our list and if you are interested in a title contact the library at 563-589-4225 and ask for the Inter-library loan department.

As teenagers in a Lagos
secondary school, Ifemelu and Obinze fall in love. Their Nigeria is
under military dictatorship, and people are leaving the country if they
can. Ifemelu—beautiful, self-assured—departs for America to study. She
suffers defeats and triumphs, finds and loses relationships and
friendships, all the while feeling the weight of something she never
thought of back home: race. Obinze—the quiet, thoughtful son of a
professor—had hoped to join her, but post-9/11 America will not let him
in, and he plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London.

Years
later, Obinze is a wealthy man in a newly democratic Nigeria, while
Ifemelu has achieved success as a writer of an eye-opening blog about
race in America. But when Ifemelu returns to Nigeria, and she and Obinze
reignite their shared passion—for their homeland and for each
other—they will face the toughest decisions of their lives.

Fearless, gripping, at once darkly funny and tender, spanning three continents and numerous lives, Americanah is a richly told story set in today’s globalized world. --from Goodreads

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1 by G. Willow WilsonKamala Khan is an
ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she's suddenly empowered with
extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager?
Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm!
When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a
secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new
gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear?
Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, Jersey!-- from Goodreads****Try this one in audio. It is fantastic, fun and only 2 hours long.**** *** Read Sarah's review of Ms. Marvel here***

Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth and Faith in the New China by Evan OsnosFrom abroad, we often see
China as a caricature: a nation of pragmatic plutocrats and ruthlessly
dedicated students destined to rule the global economy-or an addled
Goliath, riddled with corruption and on the edge of stagnation. What we
don't see is how both powerful and ordinary people are remaking their
lives as their country dramatically changes. As the Beijing correspondent for The New Yorker, Evan Osnos was on the ground in China for years, witness to profound political, economic, and cultural upheaval. In Age of Ambition,
he describes the greatest collision taking place in that country: the
clash between the rise of the individual and the Communist Party's
struggle to retain control. He asks probing questions: Why does a
government with more success lifting people from poverty than any
civilization in history choose to put strict restraints on freedom of
expression? Why do millions of young Chinese professionals-fluent in
English and devoted to Western pop culture-consider themselves "angry
youth," dedicated to resisting the West's influence? How are Chinese
from all strata finding meaning after two decades of the relentless
pursuit of wealth? -- from Goodreads

*** Read Ann's review of Age of Ambitionhere***Are you looking for a book club to join? Carnegie-Stout's next book discussion for adults will be at 7:00 PM on July 12 in the First Floor Program Room. We will be discussing Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink. Books are available for check-out at the circulation desk. The upcoming book discussion titles for the rest of 2016 are as follows: